Two four-days game in tough conditions tested England Lions. The play-off for an opening berth remained unsettled while Mark Wood emerged from the fast bowling attac
It is axiomatic that the most heartening aspect of England Lions' two first-class matches on their short tour of South Africa has been Jonathan Trott's return to international cricket following his stress-related illness. In terms of making an unbeaten double century at Paarl and then a half century at Bloemfontein it has been statistically successful, but then no-one doubted he could still score runs. More significantly, he has enjoyed his cricket and, insofar as anyone can pass judgement on a private matter, has appeared healthy and happy.
Nor has he evaded his responsibilities as captain. He is sufficiently media savvy to have perfected the politician's art of tossing a question back at his interlocutor, but has done so with humour. One question from this correspondent about whether he would like to follow Kevin Pietersen in coming up with an autobiography of his own was met with: "Would you like to write it?" Another, seemingly straightforward inquiry, was met with: "Is that a statement or a question?" In the mind's eye, Harold Wilson is sucking on his pipe to bide time and clear his thoughts.
One or two people came up to Trott and told him they knew his father or a friend of a friend of a friend, or some such connection, and he was invariably polite in response. This, after all, is his homeland. He knows the people, the pitches, even the opposition. Vincent Barnes, his old coach from his teenage years in the Cape and now looking after South Africa A, rather gave the game away when he said Trott had told him he was ready to return to international cricket.
Quite when that will be is unknown.
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